anarchism 1.3 anarchist thinkers and their ideas

Question 1

What are Max Stirner’s key ideas?

Answer 1

• the individual ‘ego’ must be placed above all else, and not limited or controlled
• the union of egoists is based on the conscious, self-interested will of each individual

Question 2

What is Stirner’s book called?

Answer 2

• The Ego and His Own
• he develops a comprehensive criticism of the state and existing society
• based on his view of human nature as one of autonomy, rationalism and self interest

Question 3

When was Stirner around?

Answer 3

1806-56

Question 4

What does Stirner believe about the ego?

Answer 4

• he underlines the unique individuality of each person, which should not be limited
• the ‘ego’ must be placed above all else and there must be an end to the control of our thoughts by existing societal institutions, such as church and morality

Question 5

What does Stirner reject about existing work?

Answer 5

• he believes it limits the ‘ego’ because it is not fulfilling and the individual cannot keep the full fruits of their labour

Question 6

What is the Union of Egoists?

Answer 6

• Stirner’s vision of the future is of a free society living in the interests of all individuals, based on voluntary agreements made as they serve the individuals own personal interest, not for the common good

Question 7

How will the Union of Egoists be achieved?

Answer 7

• through insurrection
• involves the individual becoming an egoist and withdrawing from capitalist labour and the state so that the state will decay and die

Question 8

When was Pierre-Joseph Proudhon around?

Answer 8

1809-65

Question 9

What are Proudhon’s key ideas?

Answer 9

• private property is exploitative and divisive
• mutualism is the economic basis of liberty
• change should be evolutionary, not revolutionary

Question 10

What is Proudhon’s book called?

Answer 10

• ‘What is Property?’
• it provides the bridge between individualism and collectivism in anarchism

Question 11

How does Proudhon view private property?

Answer 11

• he attacks the view of private property as exploitative and divisive, and at the heart of capitalism

Question 12

What is Proudhon’s view on the right to possession?

Answer 12

• endorses the right to possession, and the right for the individual to keep the full fruits of their labour, as a protection for the individual against the collective

Question 13

What is Proudhon’s view on mutualism?

Answer 13

• fits more closely with individualist anarchism
• the system of mutualism would be the economic basis of liberty; the political aspect would be based on federalism and decentralisation

Question 14

How does Proudhon want to get rid of the state?

Answer 14

• rejects the state as entirely without morality but makes the case for constructing the new society within the shell of the existing state
• anarchists should establish mutualist organisations
• evolutionary process will cause the state to die away rather than being overthrown in a revolutionary action

Question 15

When was Mikhail Bakunin around?

Answer 15

1814-76

Question 16

What are Bakunin’s key ideas?

Answer 16

• human nature as social
• propaganda by the deed

Question 17

How was Bakunin’s form of anarchism important?

Answer 17

• he was one of the most notorious radicals in history
• his form of radical, revolutionary anarchism was critical of capitalism, Marxism, the state and religion, and is the foundation of collectivist anarchism

Question 18

What was Bakunin’s view on human nature?

Answer 18

• human nature stressed rationality and individuality but argued that humans were, by their very nature, social beings who could not exist outside of society
• he argued that human beings are shaped by the society they live in = need to achieve liberty to explore full potential
• liberty can only be achieved by the rejection of the state and the authority of the church

Question 19

How does Bakunin view the economy?

Answer 19

• he calls for collectivisation
• involves the abolition of private property and its replacement with the collective ownership of the means of production, because liberty without equality is just privilege and injustice

Question 20

What did Bakunin reject?

Answer 20

• all traditional forms of parliamentary politics and all Marxist calls for capturing the state

Question 21

What is collectivisation?

Answer 21

• the abolition of private property and its replacement by a system of common ownership

Question 22

What did Bakunin argue?

Answer 22

• the masses had to free themselves, and this could only be achieved by the destruction of the state

Question 23

When was Peter Kropotkin around?

Answer 23

1842-1921

Question 24

What were Kropotkin key ideas?

Answer 24

• mutual aid
• education then revolution
• utopian

Question 25

What did Kropotkin study?

Answer 25

• he adopted a scientific approach to his study of human nature and society, and used this to underpin his philosophy of anarchism

Question 26

What strand is Kropotkin a key influence of?

Answer 26

• anarcho-communist

Question 27

What is Kropotkin’s book called?

Answer 27

• Mutual Aid
• he argues that in nature the survival of the fittest is a race between species, and mutual aid is the key factor for success

Question 28

What is Kropotkin’s view of human nature?

Answer 28

• argues that humans have always been co-operative and altruistic

Question 29

What did Kropotkin oppose?

Answer 29

• the state and capitalism
• argued that if they were removed humans would act in line with their true nature of altruism

Question 30

What would Kropotkin’s future society look like?

Answer 30

• economically it would be based on communism where the means of production would be owned collectively
• each would work to their ability and receive according to their need
• communes would be voluntary and connected in federations based on direct democracy
• it would nurture altruism and would end private property and poverty and create a peaceful, harmonious society

Question 31

When was Emma Goldman around?

Answer 31

1869-1940

Question 32

What were Goldman’s key ideas?

Answer 32

• state and violence
• opposition to parliamentary politics

Question 33

Who did Goldman get some of her ideas from?

Answer 33

• drew ideas of Stirner in that she supported the autonomy of the individual
• also ideas from Kropotkin in her theory of social harmony

Question 34

What did Goldman argue that governments relied on?

Answer 34

• violence
• focused her anger on patriotism and militarism

Question 35

How is patriotism used by the state?

Answer 35

• to force obedience to the flag and state stir up divisions with others and fund a growing military to control the increasing discontent of the masses, both domestically and globally

Question 36

What did she think about parliamentary politics?

Answer 36

• reformist and corrupting